“It’s exciting to not quite know how things may turn out. The ability to experiment and push boundaries to try something new is what keeps me creative.”
Connect with Ellie Portillo, founder of @ellaroeceramics - a locally made line of handcrafted jewelry and hair accessories made with foraged wildflowers, stones and shells - popping up at Phosphene Thursday June 29 - Saturday July 31. Ellie shares what keeps her creative, her favorite ways to slow down and de-stress, her favorite local spots in Fredericksburg and dreamy details of a favorite day trip - to Crescent Beach, Florida - about an hour from where she grew up.
"For someone who thrives off of tight planning, I take a very loose approach when it comes to creating my pieces, letting the clay lead the way. Sometimes I will have a specific shape in mind but when I get to the wheel, something totally different happens and then I roll with that and let it evolve."
Alex Meltzer is the founder of Meltz Studio, a ceramic studio based in Newburgh in the Hudson Valley of New York, known for creating pieces intended to serve as both memento and object to be enjoyed every day. Read on for our conversation with Alex to learn about her background as a creator, what inspires her, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
Fran Miller started F. Miller in 2014 because she couldn’t find the skincare she wanted — a pared-back roster of select staples, luxurious in their inherent minimalism. Effective natural products created from the highest quality ingredients and meticulously formulated for daily use. The line remains a tight edit of highly selective, holistically timeless, effortless essentials. Read on to learn about the formation and foundation of the F.Miller line and to discover the collection.
Artists of Australia, coastal seascapes of the Greek Islands and Acrosanti - an ambitious project envisioned as an experiment in living with a limited environmental footprint in Arizona. Each month we practice taking pause and creating space to reflect on what's bringing us inspiration and energizing us, and share it here with you - enjoy.
"I have this self-delusion that I'm organized and practical, but in reality I often act on a whim more than I would like to admit. For instance, I'll sketch some shapes out, but once on the wheel it turns into something else. It's a constant battle between planning and impulse. I [also] love executing the idea of reserved extremes. It's an aesthetic that I'm deeply attracted to and always in pursuit of. I believe that chaos and control can exist at the same time and it's not one over the other."
Candice Aquino is the founder of Some Ceramics, a ceramic studio known for handcrafting familiar forms with subtle refinement. Read on for our conversation with Candice to learn more about how she began, her design process, how she spends her time relaxing and slowing down and the all the details of her favorite eateries and galleries in the New York City area.
